Conservative club targets GOP

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A recent e-mail solicitation for donations sent by Club for Growth President Chris Chocola urged recipients to 'Click here to send a message to the Washington establishment by making a contribution to Marco Rubio for Senate today.'
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POLITICO 44

The Club for Growth’s recent claim to fame — or infamy, for some — has been mixing it up in House Republican primaries by backing conservative candidates running against moderates.

But the anti-tax, anti-big-government group now is positioning itself to be a major 2010 player in Senate races, too, a development likely to cause headaches for both parties.

In Pennsylvania, the club’s former president, former Rep. Pat Toomey, is the runaway favorite for the Republican nomination and has a chance to take on party switcher Sen. Arlen Specter, assuming Specter survives his own Democratic primary challenge from Rep. Joe Sestak.

In September, the club sent letters to all of Specter’s donors encouraging the Republicans who donated before his party switch to ask for refunds. The mailing included a handy draft of a refund request letter.

Based on October financial disclosure records, the club’s mischief has cost Specter about $100,000 in refunds — so far.

In the Florida Republican Senate primary, Club for Growth is backing former Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio’s challenge of Gov. Charlie Crist, who has the support of national party leaders but has been dubbed by the club as “one of the worst RINOs in the country” (RINO = Republican In Name Only).

A recent e-mail solicitation for donations sent by Club for Growth President Chris Chocola urged recipients to “Click here to send a message to the Washington establishment by making a contribution to Marco Rubio for Senate today.”

The club is considering an endorsement in the New Hampshire Republican Senate primary and is already contacting potential GOP convention delegates in Utah to air its opposition to Republican Sen. Bob Bennett’s position on some issues.

The club hasn’t endorsed a Utah candidate, but officials are watching the field to see if a viable candidate emerges to run against Bennett, a party leader and a nearly 20-year incumbent, said Mike Connolly, a club spokesman.

To get a sense of just how much clout the Club for Growth has gained at the party leaders’ expense, look to Kentucky and the race to fill the seat of retiring Republican Sen. Jim Bunning.

Both of the leading Senate Republican primary candidates there are vying for the club’s endorsement — and neither wants one from the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

“I think our race is shaping up a lot like the other races: There is a sort of establishment candidate and a conservative who wants to defend a party platform that is against bank bailouts and a lot of the things going on in Washington,” said primary candidate Rand Paul, the son of Republican presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul ofTexas.

Paul, who has been active in Kentucky Taxpayers United, a local fiscal conservative group, said, “We hope we hit a chord” with Club for Growth officials. “I feel we represent the conservative alternative in our primary,” he said, adding that his chief opponent, Trey Grayson, was feted at an NRSC fundraiser in September.

But Nate Hodson, Grayson’s campaign manager, hotly disputed that assessment of the primary.

“There is no establishment candidate in this race. There is no incumbent. We reject the label. We reject it completely. We are not the establishment candidate,” said Hodson.

Grayson has been a member of Club for Growth, Hodson said, and would be “thrilled” to have the endorsement of the group that is “well-known among conservatives as a strong organization that gets behind candidates and helps them win.”

The competition to win the club’s endorsement may surprise some after the organization’s recent, high-profile loss in the New York House special election that led to Democrats taking over a long-held Republican seat.

Wow our job is done Republicans are killing their own party. So Democrats don't even have to target the Republicans at all. They are pushing the moderates out of the party. Therefore forcing the end of their party, because they don't realize Moderates are the bridge that keep all parties going.

Republicans aren't Republicans anymore. Last time they had control they ran amok spending like there was no tomorrow. That's why we voted them out of office. They don't seem to have learned anything. They are just Democrat Lites. We are Conservatives.

"Is it a third party we need, or is it a new and revitalized second party, raising a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors which make it unmistakably clear where we stand on all of the issues troubling the people? A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency, or simply to swell its numbers. I do not believe I have proposed anything that is contrary to what has been considered Republican principle. It is at the same time the very basis of conservatism. It is time to reassert that principle and raise it to full view. And if there are those who cannot subscribe to these principles, then let them go their way.” ( Ronald Reagan )

Moderate Republicans side with the democrats most of the time anyway, they should just join their party! Mccain is a great example.. case in point.... Mcains bills

The Club For Growth loves primary challenges, I say keep at it! None, Repeat None of thier candidates have won an election. The result has always been defeat for the Republicans. The debacle in upstate N.Y. is just the first time it's been noticed. CFG = Republicans Lose.

It seems to me that having 40 republicans in the senate and a leftist democrat president is doing more to advance the conservative cause than having 52 republicans and a moderate republican president. Between the Bush presidency and the McCain candidacy, I think conservatives have learned their lesson on electing and/or endorsing moderates. Time will tell.

I think you're mistaken. Club for Growth is targeting the GOP. I think you need to read the article again. That's the problem with you republicans: you're so myopic when it comes to posting your talking points and towing the party line that you become oblivious to the fire burning down your own house. That's why the dems numbers keep increasing in while you guys are reduced to making 'feel good wishful thinking' predictions as your in congress keeps shrinking.

Changes among political independents appear to be the main reason the percentage of conservatives has increased nationally over the past year: the 35% of independents describing their views as conservative in 2009 is up from 29% in 2008

Repeat None of thier candidates have won an election. The result has always been defeat for the Republicans.

You obviously didn't bother to read the article:

"But a closer inspection of the club’s activities in the past five election cycles shows it has more wins than losses, and it’s been instrumental in getting candidates through both contested primaries and generals.

Among its graduating class: Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-N.C.), Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) and Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.). All told, the club claims 37 members of Congress who were early recipients of its endorsement."

Republicans aren't Republicans anymore. Last time they had control they ran amok spending like there was no tomorrow. That's why we voted them out of office. They don't seem to have learned anything. They are just Democrat Lites. We are Conservatives.

LOL!! A republican by any other name is still a republican. I know why many of you republicans are ashamed to be called republican - it's called hypocrisy. But you can disguise yourself as conservative or libertarian or Canadian (so as to be liked outside of our borders) or whatever - you're still republicans. And even if you were not, the fact is you laid and associated yourselves with them for so long that you've morphed into them. It's makes no difference.

I support the CFG's campaign to run out-of-the-mainstream candidates on the Republican party ticket in 2010.

No, they are running non-Conservatives out of the party, and good riddance. Meanwhile more people are becoming Conservative.

Independents Move to the Right

Changes among political independents appear to be the main reason the percentage of conservatives has increased nationally over the past year: the 35% of independents describing their views as conservative in 2009 is up from 29% in 2008

Rubio's last term in the Florida House ended in January 2009, so he did not share responsibility for the state's fiscal crisis. But when asked by reporters what he would have done differently, Rubio has suggested that he would have refused the federal stimulus dollars and instead cut up to $6 billion out of the $65 billion state budget. When asked where precisely he would have found those savings, Rubio demurred: "I don't have the budget in front of me." (SOUND FAMILIAR?)

These answers have gained Rubio little traction among Florida voters, where he trails Crist badly in all demographic categories. Rubio even trails Crist by 10 points among Hispanics, despite his Cuban ancestry and fluent Spanish.

Folks, don't let the tea baggers fool you with all of the loud barking. THERE'S NO TEETH!!

know why many of you republicans are ashamed to be called republican - it's called hypocrisy. But you can disguise yourself as conservative or libertarian or Canadian (so as to be liked outside of our borders) or whatever - you're still republicans.

You clearly don't know the difference between "Republican" and "Conservative". To be Republican is to belong to a political party, to be Conservative is to hold a certain political IDEOLOGY.

Conservatives have been abandoning the Republican PARTY because it has not been Conservative.

Democrats have to watch out for other Democrats. Hear about the Daily Kos and it's push to stop funding the DNCC because of the Stupak amendment?

Democrats are in love with the fact that the Repubs are having problems, but fail to realize that the so called "breadth" of your party hasn't resulted in much besides a huge Washington stalemate. You've got a supermajority in the House and could only get your most important domestic agenda item passed by 5 votes? Don't be surprised if some moderates and Blue Dogs are forced out next election - the party is moving too far to the left for them to have a place anymore.

As a liberal, I support the CFG's campaign to run out-of-the-mainstream candidates on the Republican party ticket in 2010

I guess if you define mainstream as a tax and spend, run up the deficit type candidate, then yes CFG is running these people out of the party. But if you're a taxpaying citizen, what's wrong with pushing a policy of fiscal conservatism? Are you afraid that you can't spend your money as well as the government does?

Wow our job is done Republicans are killing their own party. So Democrats don't even have to target the Republicans at all. They are pushing the moderates out of the party. Therefore forcing the end of their party, because they don't realize Moderates are the bridge that keep all parties going.